overturned ATVs
On the night of Tuesday, June 7, the Telegram channel Baza, citing a representative of the local reindeer herders’ union, reported that Vladimir Gabrielyan, the first deputy general director of VK, disappeared in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Together with his wife Elena and two friends – Sergei Merzlyakov and Sergei Olsevich – he traveled along the coast of the White Sea in two Sherp all-terrain vehicles.
death of two approved in the morning at the regional investigative committee. As the website for England’s Arkhangelsk region reports, “three men and the wife of one of them sailed along the White Sea coast towards Cape Kanin Nos in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug in two all-terrain vehicles.”
“While crossing the river, the vehicles overturned and drifted into the sea with the current. The men and women managed to escape, they went to the reindeer herders on foot and asked for help.
It is also stated that the rescue teams began to search for the missing “immediately”, but all activities were complicated by the remoteness of the crime scene and the lack of communication.
As Baza clarified, the second all-terrain vehicle with Elena and Olsevich also turned upside down in the river, but they managed to land. They had to walk 25 kilometers to a small village where a local reindeer herder was guarding them in his hut.
The Telegram channel also reported that the rescuers were able to search for Gabrielyan and Merzlyakov only on Tuesday morning, about 12 hours after their disappearance, because the nearest helicopter was in Naryan-Mar, 420 km from the scene.
Gabrielyan has been the Vice President and CTO of Mail.ru Group since 2005. And in 2019, he moved to the post of First Deputy General Manager of VK. On March 31 of this year, Gabrielyan joined the board of directors of VK.
Bodies with symptoms of hypothermia
Baza soon reported that the missing men were dead. Rescuers found their bodies on the banks of the Pestsovaya River.
VK press service confirmed the death of Gabrielyan and his comrade.
“This morning it was learned that Vladimir Gabrielyan and Sergey Merzlyakov died as a result of a tragic accident. We grieve with our family, friends and loved ones. “Vladimir and Sergey will forever remain part of our team,” said the press service of the RBC company.
In an interview with RTVI, the head of the NAO Yuri Bezdudny also confirmed the death of the first deputy head of the VK holding and spoke about the details of the rescue operation.
“Their bodies were found. Investigations are currently ongoing. During the night, divers, rescuers and a helicopter searched and found the bodies. These two survivors, alive and well, were taken by helicopter to Naryan-Mar,” he said.
And the source of RIA Novosti said that rescuers found bodies with signs of hypothermia.
“The bodies of the dead will be delivered to the city of Naryan-Mar by helicopter today, where a forensic examination will be carried out to determine the identity and determine the cause of death of the dead. The investigation will have to establish the circumstances of the incident and make a procedural decision based on the results of the check, ”says on the website of the regional Investigative Committee.
“The springs are too big, fear”
Sergey Olsevich, who survived the incident, told the Baza Telegram channel that the dead were driving ahead, so they started crossing the river first.
“I was told they would continue, find the passage, and inform me by radio of my further actions. I was waiting on the beach. 10 minutes later I was told on the radio to follow them. “I also groaned into the river and swam upstream after them,” said Olsevich.
According to him, Gabrielyan reported on the radio a few minutes later that the river was “very dangerous”, that “you have to be careful” and that “the all-terrain vehicle was swimming backwards”. At the same time, he urged his comrade with Elena “not to be afraid.”
Then our all-terrain vehicle capsized in the river and overturned. Elena Petrovna and I left the all-terrain vehicle, the satellite phone sank, it fell into disrepair. The portable radio station worked but no one got in touch. We were with the all-terrain vehicle for several hours and searched for the men. We spent 3-5 hours there,” he added.
He added that the senior manager of VK had to go back the way they went with his wife.
“He didn’t land right away. But it was impossible to follow the men down the river because the slopes there were so big, terrible. And it was cold. We don’t know where the all-terrain vehicle was going, we were driving the second all-terrain vehicle and the first one was ahead of us. And we don’t know what happened to it, because our second all-terrain vehicle capsized. and everything ended there. And the connection is lost. I called the radio – and in vain, ”Olsevich concluded.